Progress not perfection

Ahajsdk! I weighed myself this morning and am still at 234. I could've done better with food last week but at least I didn't gain. Also, while I AM focusing on getting in shape, I should be focusing on weight loss too. My measurements did not budge an inch, literally. And my clothes still feel pretty tight :(  Weight lifting it is. I need to keep the following in mind.

Right now, I am trying to like to go to the gym so I have to trick train my mind without overdoing it or I'll never go back. So it will be a slow start. One good thing that I stole borrowed from someone is that I am going to put a picture of me as I am on the fridge to deter me form raiding it. It's a picture so awful that I wouldn't put it on facebook... or here. Or anywhere really. 

I started Couch 2 5k day 1, week 2 which was 90 seconds of running followed by 2 minutes of walking. I did the first 2 sets with no problem (last week I was DYING to go 60 seconds, now I can go 90 - progress, not perfection! And it will always get easier). After that got a little dicey. I did it but it hurt and I was not feeling it. But sure enough, 20 minutes came and went and I was outta there. Like my friend Melissa reminded me, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING FOR 20 MINUTES! I will be doing some light weight lifting tonight at home while watching Harry Potter (I've never seen them before, btw). I felt GREAT afterwards, of course.


Other ways to boost energy?
So I need to come up with ways to reduce calories (and sometimes that includes distracting yourself so you don't eat). The author says to set concrete goals. Amber, a friend of mine reminded me that the beginning of each chapter offers a list of things to make her happier. Here are January's:

Here are mine: 

• According to Gretchin Rubin, "[a]nother study suggested that getting one extra hour of sleep each night would do more for a person's daily happiness than getting a $60,000 raise."First, I would like to try that - please someone give me $60,000 extra... we'll see. But since that won't be happening, I can go to bed earlier. I think I disagree with this. I have gotten 8-10 hours of sleep before and felt really tired in the morning. So it can't be that. There have been times when I've been able to get up at 7 instead of 6 and that always feels 100% better. I feel like a new person. I don't think it's the amount of hours I sleep but rather waking up in the pitch black darkness. But short of uprooting the entire educational system (even though it is PROVEN that teenagers do better later in the morning), I'll have to find a way around waking up while it's still dark which is depressing.
• One thing I can do is to not hit the snooze button. I love hitting the snooze button but never did it until this year. NEVER.
• Exercise better. Not more - just better.
• Drink water. I have been dehydrated all day. I am going to buy a case of water and bring it in tomorrow. It's making me feel tired and I have a headache. Sixty-four ounces minimum. 
  
• Listen to uplifting music.  Do you ever feel like listening to sad music feels good but bums you out?
• Another quick fix is to act energetic. That I haven't been doing and need to start.
• I can cook in bulk and freeze the leftovers for lunch. I am not a huge fan of waking up early to make lunch. I love cold food anyways.
• I think one easy thing I could cut out is soda. There is no reason to ever have it. Yes, it tastes wonderful, but there is no nutritional value in it. So that's gone. Don't offer me one and if you see me drinking one, call me on it. Even especially diet soda. Bitch smack it out of my hand if you have to. NO EXCUSES. It has been linked to a lot of nasty things from cancer to dropping your blood sugar so you binge eat. I will let myself drink seltzer water.
• The one minute rule is a rule where if it takes less than a minute to do it, do it. Don't put it off. This weekend I could've avoided a lot of stress and drama (a good story I'll tell later in the "letting it go" section). I know the dogs like to eat pillows. I left a pillow on the couch and came home to this:

It would've taken 5 seconds to pick up the pillow and move it to out of their reach. Instead, I left it and lost it and then had to clean up this mess. 

So now that I've identified the things I want to keep track of daily, I have an .xls document I can keep track of it all.

I found this great blog to help motivate me last week and thought I'd share. This girl went from my weight down 100 lbs and runs marathons now.